Thursday, April 17, 2014

A friend of mine sent me a present from Colorado that was a large beer bottle filled with a mix for beer bread - just add the beer. This concept of beer bread had me intrigued, so I did a little exploring on the internet and decided I would try out a recipe from Farm Girl Fare. After many years of my friends trying to get me away from Bud Light, I have finally figured out that my craft beer of choice when going out tends to be an IPA, so I thought I'd use one of the bottles I had in my fridge. IPA is a very bitter beer, and while I think it's good to drink, my IPA-based beer bread came out a little bitter as well and didn't translate as well to food. A good salty butter, though, improved the taste. I think the next time I make this recipe, I will try it with something richer like a nut brown ale or maybe even a lager, so there's less beer taste. Overall, not bad and the recipe for this homemade bread could not be any easier.

Dill and Cheddar Cheese Beer Bread

Ingredients

3 cups organic all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried)

1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese

12 ounces beer

Glaze: 1 egg & 2 teaspoons water, beaten

Heat the oven to 375°F

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, dill, and cheddar in a large mixing bowl.

Slowly stir in the beer and mix just until combined. The batter will be thick.

Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan, brush with the egg glaze and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.